What is the expected change in a company's intrinsic P/E ratio after issuing a surprise dividend?

A company's intrinsic price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio may experience a change based on market perceptions of its financial stability and growth potential following the announcement of a surprise dividend. The intrinsic P/E ratio is influenced by the earnings yield, which is the inverse of the P/E ratio (Earnings/Price).

When a company issues a surprise dividend, this can signal to investors that the company is generating consistent cash flow and has sufficient liquidity. In particular, the surprise element can enhance investors' perceptions of the company's financial health, as it may suggest that the company is confident in its ability to sustain or grow its earnings.

In the context of the P/E ratio, a dividend can lead to an increase in the earnings yield. As dividends are a distribution of earnings, investors may perceive that there is less growth potential, leading to a higher earnings yield and thus a lower P/E ratio. Therefore, the surprise dividend can often result in a decrease in the P/E ratio because investors adjust their expectations.

This insight highlights that option C is correct—because as the earnings yield increases, the intrinsic P/E ratio tends to decrease, reflecting a shift in investor sentiment directly linked to that dividend announcement.